How To Use Technology to Get Organized

Here are some tips on how you can use technology to get organized in the new year. 

Becoming organized has many advantages: It reduces stress, frees up time and makes life easier.  The best organizational systems are free of clutter, simple and portable. 

You can use technology to get organized by arranging contacts, schedules and goals easy, because it does not take up much space, is quick to set up and can go anywhere. 

Use technology to get organized with the following three tips:

• Use Technology to Get Organized Tip #1: Contacts

In the past, people knew exactly where to find a phone number.  If it was a business, they would look in the yellow pages.  If it was a person, then the number would be in the white pages.  If they already had the number somewhere, it was stored in an address book. 

Today, finding someone’s contact information is not as simple as it used to be.  People can be reached via hand-written letter, phone, email, instant message and social media.  Although smoke signals have gone by the wayside, many new forms of communication are used.  In spite of the possible ways to get a hold of someone, many people have a preferred method. 

The best way to use technology to get organized with your contacts is to keep track of everyone’s contact information through contact-management software.  These programs can store emails, Facebook friends, screen names and phone numbers in one place.  There are many programs to choose from, and people will want to select one that caters to their needs. 

IPhone users may want to consider PhoneBook, an app that syncs Facebook friends’ contacts and the iPhone’s address book.  Of course, Microsoft Outlook is a powerful email and contact-management program, but it can be difficult to use. 

When considering how to use technology to get organized, consider the design and compatibility.  The user interface should be simple and intuitive.  Since this will be the main source for contact information, it must be portable with any electronic device that a user has.

• Use Technology to Get Organized Tip #2: Schedules

A calendar is an essential component to any organizational system.  It is needed to keep track of schedules.  Most people realize this and have a calendar.  In fact, many people have multiple calendars.  This is a mistake.

Keeping two, three or four calendars often causes scheduling conflicts.  It is best to have only one calendar, where all the appointments that everyone in the family has are recorded.  This makes it plain when two things are scheduled at the same time.

The most convenient way to keep a single calendar is on the computer.  As there are with email software programs, there are also many electronic calendars available.  Google Calendar is one of the most popular; QuickCal Mobile is an app for the iPhone.  There are many others.

When selecting a calendar, people should consider both how the calendar is presented and who can see it, in addition to the program’s intuitiveness and compatibility.  Although using a single calendar is much wiser than using multiple ones, it can be intimidating to look at everything on the schedule. 

Many users prefer to color-code their calendar.  The second concern is for families.  They should select a calendar that everyone can access.  Mom, dad and all the children should use the same calendar.  This used to hang on the kitchen fridge, now it can be synced between everyone’s cell phone.

• Use Technology to Get Organized Tip #3: Goals

In general, books are more useful for people setting goals than computer software is.  Programs are useful to help people attain an already identified goal.  Whether the task is a simple as running errands or as complicated as managing many employees in different geographic locations, to-do lists can help.

There are many ways to use technology to get organized by managing your lists. They range from the simple to-do lists and grocery-shopping apps available for the iPhone and smartphones to complex project-management programs.  Everyone will find a program perfectly suited to meet their needs.

Users often find list-making applications un-useful, because they do not use them.  The key with these programs is to regularly use them.  Once a list is created, it must be updated.  Furthermore, users will have the most success reaching their goals if they only use one list-making application.

You can use technology to get organized.  It reduces clutter, automates tedious processes and is mobile.  Still, technology cannot organize your life on its own.  After selecting an array of appropriate applications, users must use them regularly.  Then, they will be able to lead organized lives.

Article Contributed by: Wayne Steadman

Wayne writes for Oasys Software, a software development company that specializes in mobile email filing and bridge design software.  He is very knowledgeable when it comes to how to use technology to get organized.